Elvis, Darth Vader plan get-together at Kansas Speedway

Be prepared to see dozens of hot air balloons flying over Kansas Speedway in the summer.

The speedway will host the U.S. Bank Midwest Balloon Festival from Aug. 8-10. The event involves more than 50 hot-air balloons, including one shaped like a 105-foot-tall Elvis and the world’s largest hot-air balloon, Darth Vader. The event also includes food vendors, a barbecue contest, a carnival and a children’s event. Attendees can hear an Elvis tribute concert on Sunday afternoon and local rock and country bands on Friday and Saturday night.

“We are the perfect backdrop for this signature Midwest event which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people from not only across the Metro, but across the country,” Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren said in a release. “Imagine our grounds dotted with over 50 brightly colored balloons which will, one by one, take flight over the speedway and across the Kansas landscape. It will be breathtaking.”

Previously, the event had been held at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe.

Advance tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-14. Children younger than 3 are free. Tickets are available online at midwestballoonfest.org and at all Hy-Vee locations starting May 26.